This grant application involves a study of the relationships between common airborne mold spores and bronchial asthma in man. The objectives are to identify, isolate and characterize clinically relevant allergens from common airborne mold spores through development of in vivo and in vitro biological assays for these allergens. The type of respiratory symptoms in patients with mold induced respiratory disease will be assessed by questionnaire and response to bronchoprovocation challenge testing. Once clinically relevant molds have been identified, in vitro assays will be developed to detect allergens. Clinically relevant mold allergens will be isolated and characterized utilizing various extraction and analytical techniques including CIE, CRIE, HPLC, polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and RAST inhibition. Such studies will help identify clinically relevant fungal species that induce asthma in man. They will also provide valuable information concerning the biologic properties and potency of fungal allergenic extracts used for skin testing and immunotherapy. In addition, they will allow us to identify which in vitro assays are helpful for standardization of mold allergens and identification of mold sensitive patients.